Hi.
Another month flashes by and it’s Wimbledon already. The never-ending rounds of football continue, which makes it feel still like spring sometimes. We are now well into the knockout stages of the world cup and all looks ok so far with both my sweepstake teams still involved and England too, but only by the skin of their teeth. Hopefully the next game goes well although I’m not sure I will be able to keep awake until 1.00 in the morning to watch it, we’ll see.
We are pressing on with next seasons potting, clearing the spring crops where we can, giving the tunnels a spring clean and filling them up again with firstly the slower growing overwintered crops. The second part of our main Dutch module delivery arrives next week which sees the back of most of the imports for the year, other than a few bulbs in the Autumn. Then it’s onto the faster growing UK and home-grown crops to fill up the nursery again ready for whatever 2027 holds. Our next container of pots arrives shortly which I think leaves one more to come in the Autumn.
Sadly, as fast as the plant sales income arrives it disappears again, we don’t seem to be able to give it a nice long summer holiday in our bank account to give it a healthy glow, blink and you miss it! Our electric van has been delayed again so it will be another couple of weeks before we get hold of it. Very frustrating, but we have seen some pictures to check it has been put together as expected. I think we are all agreed it is, externally, one of the ugliest van cabs we have seen!
It’s possible the perspective of the image they sent me exaggerates the size of the nose somewhat, but I have been using that argument myself all my life and never got anywhere. We hired a Renault Master van in the summer and thought then what a beast it looked, so it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise really. I’m sure we will get used to it and it’s what’s under the bonnet that really counts, that’s what I say. It’s a shame in a way that Renault have not made it more visually appealing, they really hit the right mark with their electric Renault 5, which is a very funky car, internally, externally and in performance. Caroline is really pleased with hers, so much so I have only been allowed to drive it once. I’m just not cool enough!
I don’t want to jinx tomorrow’s special delivery, but we are due to receive our replacement emergency generator at long last, making our ancient one redundant. If we can then wrestle our electrician back onto site, we can complete our electric upgrade started back in April. There will be two new EV chargers, upgraded consumer units in the barn and main electric shed which means all the site will be automatically backed up with power from the new generator should we find ourselves cut off, which does happen here quite a lot. A bit more of a marathon than expected but what’s new there, I know they can see me coming.
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Plant growth is rampant, plenty of bud and colour to tug open those purse strings. The super popular Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list and there are more follow-on batches coming too. Small and compact the Lewisia Elise have plenty of bud already and will flower all summer long. The pretty Foam Flower Tiarella wherrii are now in flower and bud We already have several Asters in bud, which are usually something we associate with late summer! The early summer flowering Allium Millenium is now producing bud. It’s a cracker, much tidier foliage and habit than the spring flowering Alliums, and it flowers for longer too. There are some cracking Verbena’s Lolliop ready to go. Don’t miss out on this very popular line. A couple of the summer flowering Crocosmia are now in bud, The taller and very red Lucifer and the more compact golden yellow George Davidson. Emberglow, another red but shorter than Lucifer, is only a week or so away from bud showing too. Summer must be here with bud on several of the Agapanthus varieties. Quite a few Leucanthemum in bud now, the first of many flowers to come. We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. Garden Pinks (Dianthus) are back in bud again after recovering from our ever-hungry rampaging hares. More summer stars are coming out now with bud appearing on the Gaura, Bidens and the Salvia’s too are now showing plenty of bud and now a bit of colour too. Oxalis is back on the list and in bud, after we gave it the Chelsea Chop just short time ago. We cut them right back to compost and there now back on show again, looking great.
Herb sales seem to be booming this year; it must be all that healthy home cooking we are being encouraged to do. Lots of stock is coming through nicely now and the tender herbs like Basil are now making their summertime appearance. Tarragon is back and the Mints have recovered nicely too. There are some super Sage, both Green and Purple
Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.
